How Much Do You Have To Make In Iowa To Be Middle Class?

The "middle class" is referred to a lot in politics, and other forms of media. Are you part of the middle class? How do we know we are part of the middle class?

A study from Pew Research Center looked at every state and what it takes to be "middle class."

What Is The Middle Class?

The “Middle Class” is defined by Pew Research Center as “any household that earns between two-thirds and doubles the median U.S. household income.” But those numbers look different in each state, due to the cost of living and a handful of other factors.

The Pew Research Center breaks up the range of household incomes by family size. Original numbers show data from 2016, but using the cumulative rate of inflation we can figure out what those numbers look like in today’s world.

The United States Averages For Middle Class

single-person household in the United States is considered to be middle class if they make anywhere between $32,399.17 - $97,198.75. While a couple makes between $45,820.49 - $137,460.23.

A  family of four needs to bring home anywhere between $64,799.58 - $156,560, to be considered to be middle class in 2022.

Iowa Middle Class

The 2016 Iowa numbers are as follows,

• Single |  $23,536 – $70,609
• Couple | $33,285 – $99,856
• Family Of Four | $47,072 – $141,217

Now let's look at 2022. The rate of inflation that we are looking at is 24.2%, you can calculate the numbers for yourself here.

• 2022 Single Member |  $29,231 - $87,696
• 2022 Couple | $41,337 - $124,021
• 2022 Family Of Four | $58,463 - $175,391

The number difference between 2016 and 2022 is kinda scary to see. Compared to other states, Iowa is on the low end. You can see every state here.